Twenty-five years ago, Roberta was president of the Dell Rapids Historical Council. Back then, folks tended to joke about the group, calling it the "hysterical council."

Roberta's love for Dell Rapids and our heritage was never a secret. She was always there to voice her opinion regarding the historical significance of our local structures and our past, much to the amusement some of those with less appreciation for history.

Roberta liked documentation. She thought it was important to take photos of our local businesses from time to time, and of our churches, schools and the community in general.

In July of 1989, Roberta contacted a local teacher and photographer, Craig Kumerfield, and presented an idea to him. She wanted to create a slide show about Dell Rapids, and she wanted him to take some photos. He agreed to assist.

The Historical Council had very little money at the time to cover expenses, so they sought a grant. Rejection followed.

"They were turned down for two reasons," recalled Kumerfield, 25 years after Roberta approached him. "The concept was attempting to cover too many topics, and the photographer was not well-known enough."

Roberta didn't let that stop her. Some local donations kept the dream alive, and Kumerfield assumed the role of photographer and co-producer.
"When I agreed to shoot some pictures for Roberta, I had no idea that it would take 20 hours a week for over two years to finally finish the project," Kumerfield said.

Upon completion, the 45-minute two-projector slide presentation called "Scenic and Historic Dell Rapids" was ready for public viewing. Professional musicians and narrators provided the audio portion of the presentation, and the Dells Theatre was home to the first few showings.

It was "standing-room only."

DeVaney and Kumerfield got the last laugh over skeptics when the project won national recognition in 1993 from North America's most prestigious historical organization, the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH). Projects throughout the United States and Canada were considered, and the two local producers traveled to the AASLH's annual awards banquet in Columbus, Ohio, in September 1993 to receive a Certificate of Commendation.

Due to overwhelming public response to the slide presentation, a video of the slide presentation was professionally created. The video is still available for purchase at our local museum.

For their documentation of Dell Rapids, Craig Kumerfield and Roberta DeVaney received a Certificate of Commendation award from the American Association of State and Local History banquet in September 1993 in Columbus, Ohio.